32 



we may, by careful selection of cows, maintain a uniformly high stand- 

 ard of excellence in our herds, most of the real improvement must 

 come by mating them with the right kind of a sire. I have observed 

 over and over again the qualities of a cow, the shape of her udder, her 

 temperament, her conformation, and numerous little individual pecul- 

 iarities to be close reproductions of the same characters in the dam of 

 her sire. Breeders do not realize as they should the value of a superior 

 bull; they are often careless and indifferent in his selection. The 

 possibilities for improvement or injury do not occur to them. Or, if 

 in a general way farmers concede the advantage of a choice bull over 

 a common one, they tremendously underrate it. If this idea were 

 expressed in dollars and cents perhaps its reality would be more im- 

 pressive. 



A common bull in four years' time in a 20-cow dairy begets 80 calves. 

 If of this number 2.5 are reared to maturity, possessing the common 

 qualities of their parentage, and are worth a common price, say .|32 

 each, they represent a value of $800. Without attempting to de- 

 termine at this time whether cows can be profitably reared to maturity 

 for .$32 each, let us observe what would be the value of the progeny 

 of a superior sire. On the same basis of reproduction, and with the 

 same number of heifers reared, but with the choice progeny of superior 

 stock, we may reasonably expect a value of $50 each. Instead of an 

 $800 aggregate we have $1,250, a difference of $450, without increasing 

 the cost of production a penny. If we go still further and produce a 

 grade of heifers worth $75 each at maturity; if we use our choice 

 prepotent sire more freely, and secure the best of his progeny from our 

 neighbors' cows, and rear not 25 but 50 or 100 heifers, his value be- 

 comes not $450 greater than that of the scrub, but $1,075, $2,150 or 

 $4,200. Not only will the use of a choice bull and the rearing of $75 

 cows be more profitable than common breeding, but it will reflect on 

 all our business. We shall be more interested, nay, even enthusiastic; 

 the drudgery of farming will disappear. Instead of teasing buyers 

 to take our common stuff off our hands at a loss, we shall see them 

 eagerly persuading us to part with them by tempting offers. How 

 easy it is to sell what people want! How hard to dispose of that for 

 which there is no demand! 



Feeding. 

 The economical feeding of cows is a large subject in itself and can 

 barely be mentioned in a short paper of this kind. The two points of 

 kind and amount of foods to be used belong to the topic. As to kind 

 in general, feeds should be produced upon the farm as largely as 

 possible, and purchased feeds should be selected to supplement the 

 home-grown supply. Usually this means the purchase of feeds rich in 

 protein, paying little attention to the carbonaceous sorts on the market. 

 In buying, three factors are to be considered: the composition and 

 digestibility, the suitability to feeding milch cows, and the price. 



